I summited
Everest on May 21, 2011 and have climbed it three other times- 2002, 2003 and 2008 each
time reaching just below the Balcony at about 27,500' (8400 meters)
before health, weather or my own judgment caused me to turn back.
When not climbing, I cover
the Everest season from my home in Colorado as I
did for the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and
now for the 2015 season. This
page details the South Col route from Nepal. All the pictures
are from my Everest climbs. I have marked the camps
and routes we used in all my climbs. Also see the Northeast
Ridge route map.

Everest South Col

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Elevations and
Times Between Camps

Base Camp: 17,500'/5334m

C1: 19,500'/5943m - 3-6 hours, 1.62 miles

C2: 21,000'/6400m - 2-3 hours, 1.74 miles

C3:23,500'/7162m - 3-7 hours, 1.64 miles

Yellow Band - 1-3 hours

Geneva Spur - 1-2 hours

South Col: 26,300'/8016m - 1 hour or less

Balcony: 3 - 6 hours

South Summit : 28500' - 8690m - 3 to 5 hours

Hillary Step - 1 hour or less

Summit: 29,035' / 8850m - 1 hour or less

Return to South Col: 3 -7 hours

Return to C2: 3 hours

Return to Base Camp: 4 hours

Summit Stats

The Nepalese side has seen 3877 summits with 134 deaths through
June 2012.

The Tibet side has seen 2331 summits with 106 deaths through
June 2012

Typical Climb Schedule

March 29 - Arrive Katmandu, Nepal

March 30,31 - Katmandu

April 1 - Fly to Lukla(9200'/2804m)

April 2-10 - Trek to Base Camp (17,500'/5334m)

April 11-13 - Setup BC

Apr 14 - 29 May - Climbing Period:

C1 (19,500'/5943m)

C2 (21,000'/6400m)

C3 (23,500'/7162m)

South Col (26,300'/8016m)

Summit (29,035'/8850m)

May 30 - Disassemble BC

May 31 - Trek to Lukla

June 1 - Fly to Katmandu

June 2,3,4 - Weather days or Katmandu

June 5 - Depart for Home

Base Camp up the
Ice Fall

click to enlarge map

Everest Base Camp is on the lower left with the initial
route up the ice fall as seen from Kala Patar. Climbers can only see a
small portion of the Khumbu Ice Fall from this angle. Everest is the highest
peak in back, the one in front is Everest's West Shoulder.

Overview

Mt. Everest was first summited by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and
New Zealander Edmund Hillary with a British expedition in 1953. They took
the South Col route which is described on this page. At that time the route
had only been attempted twice by Swiss teams in the spring and autumn of
1952. They reached 8500m well above the South Col. Of note, Norgay was
with the Swiss thus giving him the experience he used on the British expedition.
The Swiss returned in 1956 to make the second summit of Everest.

Today, hundreds of climbers from around the world use this
route to try to stand on top of the world. It is considered slightly more
dangerous than the North Ridge Route due primarily to the instability of
the Khumbu Icefall. However some considered it slightly easier than the
north due to the absence of the ladders and rock climbing on the steep
steps of the North Ridge route. Nepal was closed to foreigners until 1950.

The Grand Dame of all Everest statistics, Ms. Elizabeth Hawley reports
on the Himalayan database the total number of people who have summited
Mt. Everest as of February 2014 to be around 6,871 by 4,042 different
climbers, meaning that 2,829 climbers, mostly Sherpas, have multiple
summits. The south side (Nepal) remains more popular with 4,416 summits
while the north (Tibet) has 2,455 summits.

Overall 248 people (161 westerners and 87 Sherpas) have
died on Everest from 1924 to 2013, 140 on the Nepal side and 108 from
Tibet. Since 1990, the deaths as a percentage of summits have dropped
to 3.6% due to better gear, weather forecasting and more people climbing
with commercial operations. Annapurna is a much more deadly mountain
than Everest with a summit to death ratio of 2:1 deaths for every summit
(109:55).

Khumbu Ice Fall to C1

click to enlarge map

This picture shows the lower third of the ice fall
as seen from Base Camp. There is still twice as much to climb at the top
of this photo. The route changes each day since the glacier is constantly
moving. Lhotse's summit is peeking out on the top right above the icefall.
3-6 hours, 1.62 miles one way

The Khumbu Ice Fall is a 2,000 foot climb on a moving glacier complete
with deep crevasses and towering seracs. Climbers step over the crevasses
on aluminum ladders with crampons on their boots. More people die in
the Icefall than anywhere else on Everest's south side in modern times.
It is the first step in climbing Everest.

Narrative
The Icefall is ever-changing and ever-moving. In my four times climbing
Everest, it was different each time and during the climbs themselves.
I have now been through the Icefall about 40 times.

Climbers start before sunrise to minimize the movement of the glacier heating
up with sunrise and mid-day heat. This means a 3:00AM wake-up call and
a quick breakfast. The first time climbers are probably already awake with
anticipation or just because they are still not used to sleeping at 17.500'.
They dress in layers but not too many because it can be warm: long underwear,
shell pants and light top, a shell jacket and a warm jacket in the pack
for breaks. Good leather gloves, sunglasses, headlamp and warm cap top
things off.

They eat as much as they can at the early breakfast, top off water
bottles (not hydration packs since they freeze) and put harness on then
start heading towards the icefall. Depending on where their camp is located
at Everest Base Camp, this can take 10 to 30 minutes to reach the last
flat section, Crampon Point, where they attach their crampons to their
boots.

The first section is pretty much a continuous climb that undulates wildly.
Sometimes it is a 60 degree climb, others a more gentle 20 degree. After
an hour in a "normal" year climbers reach the first ladder. The first time
crossing a long ladder can be interesting but it gets simple as time goes
on.

Breathing is heavy and labored the first couple of trips. Using a Buff
is mandatory since it warms their breath and helps manage the Khumbu cough.

There are huge seracs that teeter above climbers threatening to fall at
any moment. Climbers are now in the section known as the Popcorn.

It is common to hear a loud crash, an avalanche in the Icefall
or maybe one of those towering seracs falling. Instinctively climbers lower
their shoulders and raise their arms over their head. More than likely
it was off their route since the Icefall Doctors are careful to avoid the
sections of the Icefall where most of these crashes happen or are exposed
to Everest's West shoulder's hanging seracs.

Next climbers reach a flat section known as the football
field. A large area of flat hard packed snow. This is where they take a
break, drink some water, slow their breathing and eat something. This is
about halfway up and it has taken at least two hours, probably three the
first time up.

It should be sunrise but climbers are on the West side of
the Icefall and the sun does not hit this are until 9:00 at the earliest.
It can be cold if the wind is blowing so most people throw on a down parka
during the break. More of the same for another two or three hours.

Sherpas returning from the previous day, or even that same
morning, of load carrying to the High Camps occupy the route. They had
loads that made climbers feel like a wimp. Climbers struggle with their
20lb load and Sherpas scoot by them with their 60 to 100 pound loads. Respect
for these special people grow not because of their strength but because
of their completeness.

The next section is the Upper Icefall but it fools climbers because think
they see the top of the Icefall before realizing there is more to go. The
final section always involves steeper ladders and sharper grades. It usually
takes four to six hours to cover the 1.62 miles and climbers get faster
as their acclimatization increases.

At the top of the Icefall, the terrain becomes a flat expanse
of snow that leads into the Western Cwm. Camp 1 is still another half to
full hour from here.

Western Cwm between C1 and C2

click to enlarge map

Western Cwm route from Camp 1 (top triangle) to Camp
2 (bottom triangle) as seen from Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face. This area is
heavily crevassed and smart teams rope up or always stay clipped into the
fixed rope. It takes about 2-3 hours to walk from C1 to C2 and it can be
extremely hot. 2-3 hours, 1.74 miles one wayAtop
the Ice Fall is Camp 1 serving as a weigh station to the Western Cwm and
Camp 2. The Cwm is a 'U' shaped valley carved out by the Khumbu glacier.
Everest is on the North (left), Lhotse is directly ahead and Nuptse is on
the right or South. The Cwm is straightforward but has several dangers. First
it is hot. Temperatures can easily reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun
is reflected by the snow and ice covered walls of the valley and lightly
filtered at this 22,000 foot altitude. Then there are the crevasses. Some
are crossed on ladders but others remain hidden by thin snow bridges. It
was on one of these bridges that I fell into a deep crevasse in 2002. Camp
2 sits on the most Eastern point of Cwm and serves as Advanced Base Camp
and a launching pad for the summit.

Narrative

Climbers
still cannot actually see Everest until they go another quarter mile up the
Western Cwm, they do have a spectacular view of Pumori and other 7000m hills
behind them. I have already described climbing the IceFall so here is a description
of the last steps to Camp 1.

Once climbers top the Icefall there is a large flat expanse of snow on the
western end of the Western Cwm. It looks easy but they are tired. Camp 1
is not visible from the top of the Icefall.

There
are normally five to 8 ladders in this area along with a fixed rope. Climbers
are told to always attach themselves to the rope and be extra careful in
this area. There is a tendency to relax their guard but now is not the time.

The walk to C1 has a gradual gain but climbers will still be breathing hard.
Anywhere from half to a full hour later, the sight of yellow, red or green
tents on the pure white snow come into view. But also a large part of the
Cwm unfolds in front of climbers. While not all of it is visible, climbers
can see Nuptse on their right, Lhotse ahead and Everest on their left. Most
climbers don't notice all this since they are focused on getting into their
tents and having a brew and some food. Normally each tent prepares their
own food at this camp so it starts to feel like a real climb at last. IMG
had a large cooking tent where we all gathered and Sherpas boiled water for
us.

Next is the climb to C2 in the Western Cwm.

It
is about 1.74 miles from Camp 1 to Camp 2 with an altitude gain of 1,500'.
So it is not far and not that high but ... it is hot, very hot if they travel
in mid day. So most leave Camp 1 at 6:00 AM or earlier.

The sun reflects off the walls of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse's snow covered
slopes making the temperature rise above 100F degrees. Then it can be brutally
cold if the cloud moves in, the wind picks up and it starts snowing. Layers
are important for this section.

Camp 2 seems like a mirage throughout the walk, never getting closer. The
last half hour is the most mentally challenging. The route goes up in angle
and once in Camp 2 proper, it can be the steepest walk because the tents
are set up along a rising rock gully. If your the camp is at the top of the
gully, it can be a very long final half hour.

Lhotse Face to C3

click to enlarge map

Route from Camp 2 (lower left triangle) to
Camp 3 (upper triangle) up the Lhotse Face, across the yellow band and
up the Geneva Spur to the South Col. Climbers must be clipped into the
fixed line at all times to avoid falling resulting in injury or death.
3-6 hours, 1.64 miles one way

The next stage is the Lhotse Face, Lhotse is the fourth highest peak in
the world at 27,920 feet. The face is a steep wall of hard packed ice and
snow that holds Camp 3. Climbers climb the Lhotse face twice during the attempt
on the summit. First as an acclimatization climb and then on the way to the
summit.

It is not uncommon for someone to die on the Face. The steep angle and
hard ice make it difficult to get a grip with their crampons. Climbers must
be clipped into the fixed line at all times - even while at Camp 3.

Narrative

Climbing
the Lhotse Face is a big challenge after the Khumbu Ice Fall on the way to
the summit. There are usually two ropes, an up and a down, attached to the
face with ice screws and anchors.

Each rope is about 200' long so climbers must unclip their carabineers
and jumars at the junctions. This is a two step process so that the climber
is always attached to the fixed line by at least one device.

It is very normal for a long line of climbers to be going up and another
long line coming down - usually Sherpas returning from carrying loads to
the higher camps. So, in the middle of the Himalayas, climbers have a traffic
jam!

The angle can be very steep especially just above the base or the bergschrund
and again near the top most camps. By steep, I mean 40 to 50 degrees. This
can be extremely tiring.

Depending
on the weather, the Face is usually rock hard blue ice. Climbers have to
kick their crampon points into the ice stealing precious strength with each
step. After a few weeks, the path is fairly well set due to the thousands
of kicks into the ice but one storm can have climbers starting all over again.

There are usually two or three levels of camps because flat areas are at
a premium and Sherpas need a somewhat flat area to carve out tent platforms.
In 2011, there were three "Camp 3's" ranging from 23,500 to 24,000'.

The final few hundred feet into Camp 3 are difficult for almost everyone.
climbers are very tired, probably dehydrated and on steep terrain. However
once in their tent, the views are amazing on a clear day!

Yellow Band and Geneva Spur to C4

click to enlarge map

Route from Camp 3 to the South Col.
Across the Yellow Band and to the left up the Geneva Spur. This is the
first time most climbers start to use bottled oxygen. The climbing and
Yellow Band is not technically hard but climbers are approaching 8000m.
3-6 hours, 0.8 miles one way

From Camp 3, on the way to the summit, climbers must cross the yellow band
and the Geneva Spur on the way to the South Col. These barriers, while not
technically difficult, are a challenge at an altitude of 25,000 feet and
6 weeks of expedition life. The South Col is another world. Sitting between
Everest and Lhotse at 26,300 feet, it serves as the base for the summit attempt.
Climbers don't spend long here since the weather is always temporary and
the altitude destructive. Normally it is 8 to 12 hours depending how long
the climb from Camp 3 took. Once there, they eat and rest and then go to
the summit.

Narrative

Let's
take a look at the climb above C3 and onto the South Col. The terrain starts
out fairly steep from C3. Most climbers are on supplemental oxygen and leave
their tents after sunrise.

It can be extremely cold before the sun moves over Lhotse
or if the winds are the least bit strong, it can be miserable. But as soon
as the sun hits, and there are no clouds, then it can become horribly hot.
Many climbers are in their full down suits trying to minimize the weight
in their packs.

After about a couple of hours they approach the Yellow Band,a
strip of limestone that cuts through the Himalayas in this area. They leave
snow and climb on smooth rocks at a 20 to 30 degree angle. This is only for
about 100 - 300 feet depending on the route that year but it takes concentration.
The fixed ropes are a huge asset here. A jam usually occurs in this area
if several teams are going for the summit on the same day. Once clear of
the Band, it somewhat flattens out until the bottom of the ridge defining
the South Col. This is actually on the Geneva Spur.

Climbers are a little weary at this point more from the altitude
than anything else so when they see Geneva Spur's 150' of 40 degree rock,
ice and snow, it causes a long pause. But it is actually easier than it looks.
From all the traffic, there are steps but also the uneven rock allows for
good foot placement. In low snow years, this area may be snow free and most
Sherpas and some climbers remove their crampons to make it easier.

Topping the ridge, climbers follow a rocky "path" worn
by other climbers and soon step on the South Col proper - an area the size
of two football fields with ten or twenty or thirty tents huddled together
on the west end. But most climber notice the tents second - after they see
the actual summit pyramid of Mount Everest for the first time.

South Col to
the Balcony

Summit route as seen from Camp 4, the South Col. The true summit is not visible
from this angle. It is about 1.07 miles from the South Col to the summit
and usually takes from 6 to 9 hours or more.

The summit bid starts before midnight with a steep climb up the South
side of Everest. Reaching the Balcony at 27,500 feet, climbers turn West
up the ridge to the South Summit, over the Hillary Step onto the Summit Ridge
and then ... the summit.

Narrative

If the weather is good, there will be no wind and the temps around zero,
very comfortable in down suits. In 2011 we arrived in C4 after a 3 hour climb
from C3 at 8:00 AM and rested, drank and ate until 7:00 PM. On my IMG climb
we had Personal Sherpas whom we had come to know closely.

As we got ready to leave for the summit, they checked our crampons
for tightness, that our harnesses were doubled-backed and that our oxygen
was set properly with the regulators. They helped us on with packs and then
led the climb to the summit.

It was obviously dark at 9:20 PM when we set out. Headlamps
lighting up the way. Each climber was with their Personal Sherpa. Also each
Sherpa and many climbers had a radio each.

We started up the Triangular Face towards the Balcony. The activity was fast
paced. Climbers passing climbers. People stopping to adjust oxygen or gear.
The lines took some time to spread out. At some points climbers simply stood
in place waiting for the person ahead of climbers to move, not wanting -or
able -to pass them.

The climb from the South Col is some of the steepest, sustained
climbing on a South Col route climb until you reach the slabs discussed next.
In low snow years, the crampon on rock movement creates slips that robs energy.
On good snow years, there is usually a well-worn path developed on the route.
The fixed line becomes a bit cumbersome and requires careful manipulation
of their carabineer and jumar in heavy gloves at each anchor. It is critical
to have a solid glove system to maintain dexterity and warmth.

The climb through the Triangular Face to the Balcony is long
and cold in the dark. Usually there is at least a partial moon in mid to
late May so climbers can see the surrounding ground plus the nearby mountains
including Makalu and Lhotse.

The route seems to go up forever and climbers think climbers
are never going to get to the Balcony. Climbers worry that their oxygen may
run out as climbers get stuck in a line or are going slowly. But after a
few hours, or more, climbers suddenly see the headlamps in front of climbers
standing still, if this is not the flat area below the Balcony, it is the
Balcony itself and climbers are about there!

This is where almost every climber swaps oxygen bottles for
a fresh one and also time for a food and water break.

I summited Mt. Everest at 5:00AM on May 21, 2011 with Kami
Sherpa of International Mountain Guides (IMG). This video was taken by Panaru
Sherpa who climbed with Karim Mella, the first Dominican to summit Everest.
The audio at 56 seconds in the video is my dispatch from the summit to this
website dedicating the summit to all mom's with Alzheimer's. My mom, Ida,
and two of my aunts, died from Alzheimer's.

Southeast
Ridge to the Summit

click to enlarge all these images

Summit Ridge. South Summit on the right. The summit is
the highest point in this picture. The lite cloud (plume) is normal and shows
some winds but still marginally climbable. This picture was taken from Kala
Patar using a 10X optical zoom lens

More
on my summit based on my May 21 2011 summit. The climb from the Balcony to
the South Summit was longer than I anticipated and significantly more difficult
than I had envisioned. A lot depends on snow conditions. In low snow years,
smooth rock slabs just below the South Summit can be challenging with crampons
and in high snow years, deep snow drifts create issues. The last section
to the South Summit was quite steep.

The picture on the right was taken by teammate Simon Arnsby
as he summited Lhotse the same morning I summited Everest, May 21, 2011.
Click to enlarge it and you can easily see climbers along the slabs.

Climbers leave the Balcony on a somewhat gentle grade but it
quickly increases to 30 degrees but still on a snow packed boot path in high
traffic years. However, this changes when climbers hit the slabs, a long
section of smooth to jumbled rock, perhaps 200' in total. The slabs vary
in difficulty from annoying to very steep and hard. There are a few sections
of 20' to 30' high "cliff like" features of 60 degrees, very steep,
where climbers are placing their crampon front points on jutting rock and
pulling yourself up with their jumar. This can be exhausting. Also this section
can create long bottlenecks both going up and descending.

Above the slabs, it gets even steeper, maybe 60 degrees; hard
to believe when climbers are there. But this section is short, maybe 100'
and on a wide snow slope. The South Summit is the first time climbers can
clearly see the final route to the true summit and probably the first time
climbers think they will actually summit. The route was a shock to me in
that it was still very steep and seemed much more than 500' gain.

Once on top of the South Summit, climbers must down climb about
50'. I arm wrapped this section but here was when the winds picked up to
over 30 mph coming due west. It became extremely cold and stayed that way
until I returned to the South Summit on the descent. It is critical to have
goggles and mittens in these conditions

After descending from the South Summit, climbers encounter
a small rock climb, maybe 10 feet that I mistook for the Hillary Step for
a moment. Next is a knife-edge ridge, the Cornice-Traverse leads to the Hillary
Step. This is the most exposed section of a Southeast Ridge climb. On one
side it is 8,000 ft down the southwest face and on the other, the Kangshung
face, a 11,000 ft drop. Some climbers report various degrees of vertigo and
being uneasy with soft edges on the boot tracks. I did not find it difficult
or frightening since I crossed it in the dark and didn't remember it on the
descent.

Climbers continue gaining altitude over some rolling bumps
and soon see the Hillary Step. The picture below was taken by Brad Jackson
in 2009. It is a bit of a shock in that it is relatively high, about 50'
of jutting rock. Basically climbers climb the crack. I watched my Personal
Sherpa, Kami, climb it and followed his lead There were new and old fixed
ropes but not the spider web I had heard about from old ropes.

I clipped my jumar and carabineer onto the new ropes and placed
my right foot on a small rock ledge, then my left - a classic stem stance.
I repeated basically the same moves to the top pulling on the ropes using
my jumar. I found it challenging but not nearly as hard as advertised!

At the top of the Hillary Step a large boulder aka chockstone
sitting on a ledge, blocked the route. You can see it in the picture above
the top climber with the rope ascending above it. I stayed clipped in and
scooted around it given the thousand foot drop-off to the left and the vertical
rock wall to the right. Again, not difficult but somewhat challenging given
the circumstances.

The final section was another surprise for me. I had expected
a long snow slope with the summit visible from just above the Hillary Step
but there were more small hills, really bumps that blocked the view and continued
to demand a physical effort on top of the altitude requirements. On the right
were large snow cornices with interesting shapes created by the prevailing
winds. It only took about 20 minutes to go from the Step to the first view
of the summit, prayer flags marking the top of the world.

The summit is not big, maybe 30 square feet. It had a small
bench carved out of the snow for teams to pose for pictures. On the other
side was the route from the north side, Tibet.

Once on the summit, the return climb can be dangerous and has
the highest incident rate due to climber's letting their guard down, fatigue
or weather conditions that developed during the day. I took a little over
3 hours to return to the South Col, finding it fast with few delays other
than at the slabs below the South Summit. I arm wrapped the steep sections.

Most climbers will take 9 to 18 hours for the round trip climb
from the South Col. My total time was 11 hours as follows:

South Col - Balcony: 3:40

Balcony (with 20 minute break) - South Summit: 2:30 hours

South Summit (with 20 minute break)- top of Hillary Step: 1:00 hour

Hillary Step - Summit: 30 minutes

Descent Summit - Balcony: 2 hours

Balcony - South Col: 1 hour

That's about it. Incredible journey to a unique place. Deserving
of every harsh word ever written or said. AND deserving of all the mystique
and attraction.